“HEARTBROKEN” locals have slammed their “dishonest” council after their iconic shopping centre is set to be bulldozed into a car park.
Independent shop owners in Park Mall in Ashford, Kent, were told last month that they only had six months to pack up before the entire site would be demolished and turned into multi-storey.
Devastated business owners said they’ve been given barely any warning by the council and have had little help with setting up elsewhere – being forced to leave their beloved businesses in the dust.
Self-made shop-owner Mathew Abercrombie, 44, invested over £300,000 into his store, Vapeology, stripping it to the “bare-bones” and building it into something he was proud of.
When he heard that he would not be able to finish his lease, he felt like the shop owners were being “chucked out like rubbish.”
He said: “We’re all worried. Where are we going to go? What can we do? They’re very disingenuous, they’re very dishonest, they’re disgusting human beings and I don’t know how they sleep at night.
“I thought I was going to fall over when I was told.
“The council says they welcome small independent businesses in one breath and then the next thing, they want to knock us down for a car park.
“You know, if we’d have a fair deal or more time…but they’re not even allowing us to have a Christmas.
“At the end of the day, we’re all terrified. That’s it.”
Ashford Council has given traders until August 31 to vacate the open-air red brick site and has offered a £10,000 grant if it can be matched by the business.
Mathew thinks the lack of support offered is desperately unfair, especially for tenants who unknowingly signed a five-year lease in December, only to find out two months later they would be forced out.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Why are so many pubs and bars closing?” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6352178578112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]In September last year, Councillor Noel Ovenden for Ashford Independents, told Kent Online the council “doesn’t have a great deal of money to do big developments and big projects”, leaving traders confident they would be able to continue business as normal.
They found out this wasn’t the case on February 26 as the authority announced the 80s shopping centre was destined to be redeveloped without them in it.
“I’m not going to be bullied by them and we’re all going to stand together,” Mathew added. “We’re a small, tight-knit community and we’re going to do what’s right.”
“Because I’m an honest, legitimate businessman. These guys are scandalous.”
‘IT’S A REAL TRAVESTY’
The Ashford local is at the forefront of a campaign to get Park Mall Traders a better deal from Ashford Borough Council, with fellow resident David Hebditch, 62, who has a vested interest in Baby Arts Studio.
David is horrified that one of the young owners, aged 23, invested the money for her first house into the business in September only to be kicked out a few months later.
He said: “It’s been a real travesty, I spent £100,000 on the shop, they’ve not offered us anything.
“All we want is a fair hearing, we’re not trying to be greedy, we’d be happy to sit around the table calmly with the council. We just want to be treated fairly.
“The big rub, really, is the people who took the new leases knowing they had no chance of recouping their money.
“We’re hurt and upset. I think it’s dishonest and I think it’s dishonorable.”
Mathew and David have placed posters in the windows of their stores urging traders and residents to back the campaign for a fairer deal.
The fundraiser, found here on change.org, states that the traders of Park Mall Shopping Centre are seeking further compensation from Ashford Borough Council.
‘HEARTBEAT’ OF THE TOWN
When the open-air mall was first opened in 1987 it was home to huge high-street names like Next, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Boots.
It was described as the “heartbeat” of the town in its heyday but now many shops stand empty.
Traders were baffled as to why the council would turn the site into a car park if there weren’t any shops to visit once you’d parked up.
Vince Monticelli spent years building up a loyal customer base and just released his record label’s first album fittingly called Let Them Eat Cake.
He opened up his dream record store in Park Mall, after narrowly surviving a battle with cancer.
The store was just about to celebrate its 10th anniversary with its devoted vinyl-fans, but the council has cut the popular shop’s life short.
“They’ve killed this town since I’ve been here, and it wasn’t good when I got here,” Vince said.
“It’s our 10th year anniversary and a match grant is all they’re offering.
“It’s just not going to cut it, is it? It’s just pathetic. It really is. It’s very disappointing.”
[quote credit=”Vince Monticelli” credit-meta=”owner of The Record Store”]They’ve killed this town since I’ve been here, and it wasn’t good when I got here[/quote]The council told the BBC closing the centre will help reduce operating losses at the site and pave the way for potential “redevelopment and regeneration” there.
It added that there are many vacant units in the town centre which it hopes some of the vacating businesses can move to.
Ashford historian Steve Salter believes the decision has come about due to an extension to the neighbouring County Square shopping centre in 2008 and the introduction of Ashford Designer Outlet in 2000.
Many shops have popped up in the new outlet rather than the open-air shopping mall, leading to many vacant units in the town centre.
Former teacher Jean Cheshire thought the new plans for the beloved site was “disgusting” and couldn’t understand why they’d demolish the prettiest part of the town.
She said: “What are they going to do with it if no one wants to live here because there’s no shops.
“I think it’s disgusting. I love these buildings. It’s the only decent part of Ashford. This is the prettiest part”
Pal Sue Terry agreed and couldn’t see any sense in building a car park by tearing down local businesses.
“They moan about no shops in Ashford, yet they’re closing,” she said.
“I just don’t know why they don’t lower the rent on them. Surely some money is better than nothing. It’s just sitting here.”
Tom Hill, 34, was sitting out at a busy cafe named The Little Teapot with his husky Ayla.
It’s one of the only places he can bring his pet in town, he explained, and doesn’t see “the point” of the council turning into a “giant car park.”
He said: “This is like one of the only places I know that’s dog friendly, where you can actually take your dog outside and have a nice little treat.
“It’s just nice to go somewhere where it’s a bit quieter during the week – you know, where else can you get a nice afternoon tea?”
Inside the bustling cafe was business over Russel Green who didn’t even get the chance to warn his staff about the closure before they saw it on the news.
He was told on the the evening of the 26th and his employees saw it published online in the morning, leaving him reeling at how they informed him so late.
“Everyone’s concerned about job security, what are they going to do, what’s going to happen,” he explained.
“It’s very disappointing news.”
Russel said the local property agency Stafford Perkins only has a couple of units available and with 28 tenants desperate for a new site rent has started to jump up.
“You’re going to have a load of businesses that are going to go out of business,” he continued.
“Ashford’s meant to be a business-friendly borough.”
When it opened on a plot previously home to houses and commercial buildings, Park Mall had been in the planning for nearly a decade.
By the 2000s it had attracted a host of national chains. It’s flagship unit was home to Sainsbury’s in the 90s, which attracted plenty of footfall.
The space was later taken up by Wilko – but with many big names already leaving, the bargain retailer also vacated in 2023.
The council secured the leasehold in 2015, with the site still home to around 20 businesses today.
[boxout headline=”A response from Ashford Council” intro=”A spokesperson from Ashford Council said:”]“Each tenant has a different lease agreement with us, but all of the leases include a break clause, allowing us to give notice, just like any other commercial landlord would. Some tenants’ leases only have a month or two-month notice period, however we have extended this to six months, to allow them more time to move.
“Despite the council’s best efforts to revive its fortunes, the Park Mall shopping complex has been in a state of spiralling decline for several years and is operating at a significant loss. Therefore, this move would reduce the council’s operating losses on the site and pave the way forward for the onward redevelopment and regeneration of Park Mall.
“If Park Mall and Edinburgh Road Car Park were to remain and continue operating in their current format, the council would need to allocate a significant budget to maintenance and upgrade works over the next one-two years to ensure the buildings meet all the necessary compliance standards, and we feel this is not sustainable.
“When we purchased the leasehold in 2015, over a decade ago, we were always clear in the short term we would try and revive the shopping centres’ fortunes, but the longer-term plans would probably not include retail, due to the changing nature of town centres and shopping habits, like we have seen up and down the country.
“This was reported at the time and in subsequent articles in the local media over the years, including recently when Wilkos closed, which has had a big effect on footfall. The reason we have now proceeded with these plans is due to the opportunity to purchase the freehold from the previous owners coming up.
“We hope that tenants are able to find units elsewhere and remain in the town centre. There are currently many vacant units in the town centre.
“As we explained in our face to face meeting with tenants, we want to help tenants as much as we can, and will provide advice, signpost to financial support available in terms of empty property grants, put them in contact with local commercial agent Stafford Perkins who can provide details of other empty properties available in the town centre and work with them individually for their specific needs and situation.”
